September 23, 2026
Throughout our work documenting prayers in the BC Legislature and in municipal council meetings across Canada, the BCHA has observed the increasing inclusion of land acknowledgements and other Indigenous content as a way to solemnize the start of a meeting. Across the country, the practice is becoming routine with a majority of councils now opening with such practices.
To assist in our own understanding of the context and history of these practices, we commissioned historian, writer, consultant, entrepreneur (and more) Robert Jago to investigate the history of the practice. Jago is a member of the Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe. You can find Robert Jago on Bluesky and Substack.
His report, The Origin and Meaning of Land Acknowledgements, challenges the contemporary understanding that land acknowledgements originated in Australia by documenting Coast Salish practices that date to pre-contact legal frameworks. Finally, he provides recommendations on how to draft an inclusive land acknowledgement that avoids misappropriating it.
